Interactive electronically presented map

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides computerized systems and methods for providing electronically presented interactive area representation, such as a map, and information associated therewith. A user can select text, imagery, or other information presented on the map and associated with one or more items or locations, causing presentation of information relating to the associated one or more items or locations, such as appropriate contact information or a hyperlink to an appropriate Web site. Additionally or alternatively, a user can input or select, based on a query or otherwise, information relating to one or more items or locations associated with text, imagery, or other information presented on the map, causing presentation of an indication of one or more locations of the associated text, imagery, or other information on the map. A magnifier feature allowing internal navigation within the map can be provided. Additionally, animated images can appear to move over the map.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation, and claims the priority, ofapplication Ser. No. 11/199,843, filed Aug. 8, 2005, which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 10/136,845 filed Apr. 30, 2002, nowabandoned, which claims the priority of provisional application No.60/287,339, filed Apr. 30, 2001. The entire disclosures of theseapplications are incorporated herein by reference.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to ID copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention disclosed herein relates to electronic presentation anduse of maps and other area representations (including geographic andnon-geographic areas), and related information, and to the interactiveuse thereof. The presentations may be provided to users via any type ofcommunications or computer network (including wired and/or wireless),such as an intranet, LAN, WAN or the Internet, an system includinginteractive television, or may be provided in local storage, e.g., in aclient or server hard disk or CD, etc.

Electronically presented maps are available over the Internet. See, forexample, www.mapquest.com, www.mapsonus.com, www.maps.expedia.com,www.maps.yahoo.com (accessed through www.yahoo.com), www.maps.com,www.maps.excite.com, (accessed through www.excite.com),www.mapblast.com, and www.zip2.com. Also see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,974,170,5,682,525 and 6,148,260. A magnifier feature that facilitates use of anelectronically presented map is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,818,455. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,379 also discloses use of a magnifier inconnection with display of an image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides computerized systems and methods forproviding an electronically presented interactive area representation,such as a map, and information associated therewith. In someembodiments, a user can select text, imagery, or other informationpresented on the map and associated with one or more items or locations,causing presentation of information relating to the associated one ormore items or locations, such as appropriate contact information or ahyperlink to an appropriate Web site. Additionally or alternatively, auser can input or select, based on a query or otherwise, informationrelating to one or more items or locations associated with text,imagery, or other information presented on the map, causing presentationof an indication of one or more locations of the associated text,imagery, or other information on the map. In some embodiments, internalnavigation within the map can be provided using a magnifier thathighlights, indicates, or otherwise defines a portion of the map,causing a simultaneous magnified presentation of the defined portion tobe provided, which magnifier can be moved smoothly over the map. In someembodiments, animated images can be presented to appear to move over themap and can simultaneously appear to move through magnifiedpresentations. In some embodiments, the animated images can includeadvertisements which can be related or unrelated to items or locationsassociated with text, imagery, or other information presented on themap.

The invention provides improvement in the presentation and ease of useof electronically presented maps and other area representations, andinformation provided by and in association therewith. “Map” and “arearepresentation” are used herein in a broad sense and may encompass avariety of geographic and non-geographic areas. The invention presentsinformation in the area representation itself as well as otherinformation associated with the area representation, provides a uniqueformat for electronically presenting and interactively using an arearepresentation, and uniquely associates information and arearepresentation locations and/or parts. In some embodiments, the arearepresentation represents a site and the item information relates tolocations within the site, or a virtual area, or a printed page, etc.Discussion of the invention in connection with a map is illustrative ofother area representation applications.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention enables users to obtaininformation about an area, such as a neighborhood, community, village orcity, etc., represented by an electronically presented map, in an easyand enjoyable manner, similar in essence to actually walking through thearea of interest.

Maps and other area representations may be provided in accordance withthe invention over a network (including wired and/or wireless), e.g., anopen or closed network, or locally, e.g., on a CD or diskette or loadedinto local hard drive or electronic memory.

The invention provides, e.g., digital signals from which an arearepresentation can be electronically displayed, and digital signalsrepresenting associated information, such as text, related in some wayto at least one of the locations of the area representation. Sets ofdigital signals representing supplementary or additional informationsuch as text words, phrases, images, or their combination at leastpartly containing text, words, images, or characters, etc. areassociated with respective location information corresponding torespective locations of the area representation when displayed. Thereby,information associated with a location of an area representation can bedisplayed based on the location's location information, and locationinformation can be obtained based on associated supplementary oradditional information. The digital signals and information may bestored in one or more databases including relationship between and amongdigital signals and information. Supplementary information, additionalinformation and item information can include voice information, whichcan be presented, for example, through speakers.

The location information can be obtained from the input of a positionindicator device such as a mouse, digitizer, touch screen, touch pad,keyboard, voice recognition system, etc. Associating locationinformation obtained from a position indicator with supplementary oradditional information allows the information to be accessed from thelocation information, and also allows the position indicator to bepositioned at a location on a displayed area representation related tothe associated information. This may be done on a static or dynamicbasis, e.g., when a position indicator is in a fixed location or whileit is moving.

The invention in one of its aspects provides two-way interactivity,i.e., associated text or other information can be accessed fromlocation-related information, and a desired location on an arearepresentation can be identified from text or other information. Thetwo-way interactivity thereby allows a user to take advantage of adisplayed area representation as well as information available throughthe system about items associated with locations on the arearepresentation.

For an area representation embodied by a map, placing the positionindicator on a desired location on the displayed map can be used todisplay associated information, and entering or selecting displayedinformation, image or images, text, or characters can be used toposition the position indicator on the map at a location related to theentered or displayed information, image or images, text, or characters.

The invention also provides a magnifier feature which can be used withthe area representation and/or the text. In one implementation, digitalsignals are provided representing two versions of an arearepresentation, which when displayed provide a smaller, or unmagnified,version and a larger, or magnified, version of at least a portion of thearea representation. The magnifier feature highlights or otherwisedefines the portion of the smaller version of the area representation,and software associates locations on the two area representations andprovides a display of the smaller, or unmagnified, version, or view, ofthe area representation with a highlighted or otherwise defined portionand, simultaneously, a magnified version, or magnified view, of thesmaller, highlighted portion.

A location on either or both versions of the area representation isrelated to supplementary or additional information and text as describedabove.

The invention in a preferred embodiment displays a composite view of asmaller area representation, a portion of the area representationenlarged or magnified, and associated text information.

The invention in another aspect provides moving images in associationwith an area representation and the magnifier feature. Separate scriptsare used to move the respective images relative to the respectivesmaller and larger versions of the area representation. The images arerelatively scaled in generally the same proportion as the two versionsof the area representations. Movement of the images is tracked alongcorresponding paths on respective area representations. This providesfor a smaller version of the image to move relative to the smallerversion of the area representation and the larger image to move relatedto the larger version of the area representation. When a portion of thelarger area representation is displayed together with the smaller arearepresentation, the image, e.g., appears to enter the larger version ofthe area representation synchronized with movement of the image on thesmaller area representation. One way to accomplish this is to provide,for each image, lists of points defining movement of the respectiveimage relative to the respective area representation.

The moving images may be implemented in any suitable manner, e.g., usingsprites.

In accordance with the invention, an electronic area representation isprovided of an area and item information thereon relating to one or moreitems associated with the area. The item information for different itemsis at different locations on the area representation. In response touser input selecting item information, additional information relatingto the item whose item information was selected is provided, preferablytogether with the area representation, e.g., on display including thearea representation and the additional information. In this embodiment,in which the area representation preferably is a map that represents ageographic area, there is a relationship between the item informationand the additional information which is preferably implemented byassociating the location of the item information with the relatedsupplementary or additional information.

In another embodiment, the additional information is associated withitem information, e.g., via the location of the item information, sothat user selection of such additional information provides on the arearepresentation an indication of the item information relating to theselected additional. This embodiment includes a relationship between theitem information (e.g., its location) and the additional informationwhich is preferably also implemented by associating the location of theitem information with the related supplementary or additionalinformation. In this embodiment and the embodiment described immediatelyabove, the relationship operates in opposite directions.

In still another embodiment, the relationship between item information(e.g., its location on the area representation) and additionalinformation is two-way, i.e., this embodiment includes a relationshipbetween the item information (e.g., its location) and the additionalinformation that operates in both directions. This embodiment therebyprovides the two-way or both direction functionality described herein.

In one embodiment, the invention also provides for highlighting a minorportion of the electronic area representation, and providing togetherwith in the electronic area representation a magnified representation ofthe highlighted portion outside the area representation. The highlightedportion may be positioned on the electronic area representation by meansof an input device and moved, preferably, continuously on the electronicdisplay of the area representation.

The invention may provide in some embodiments for moving an image withrespect to the area representation including through a highlightedportion and through a magnified representation of the highlightedportion, the image being represented magnified in the magnified portionas compared to the image moved with respect to the area representation.

The invention provides a computer readable medium or media which causesa computer to provide the functionality described herein, and systemsand computers and methods, as described herein, that provide suchfunctionality. Preferably, the electronic area representations arepresented or displayed on any suitable display device, e.g., a computermonitor or television display device. Selection of item information andadditional information may be made by any suitable input device, e.g.,computer input devices such as keyboards, pointing devices (mouse,digitizer, touch screen, touch pad, etc.), voice input and recognitiondevices, etc. User input, as described herein, may also include a queryrequesting information related to item information on the electronicrepresentation or additional information.

A map embodiment of the invention is described below with theunderstanding that such description applies where appropriate to otherarea representations which can be implemented from the disclosure hereinby those of skill in the relevant art(s) without undue experimentation.

In a preferred embodiment, the invention associates a map locationand/or map part with information (“item information”) relating to someplace, item, thing or person, which can be real, imaginary, orotherwise, located at or associated with a map location and/or part ofthe map. “Item information” as used herein is meant in a broad sense,and encompasses information relating to persons, places, sites, items,points of interest, things, objects, etc., (e.g., for business,cultural, architectural, historical, recreational purposes, etc.,residences, events, famous or historical persons, persons associatedwith a business or residence, etc.). (This type of association may alsobe applied to other area representations.)

Item information may include one or more of the following: a category,name, image, or other identification of a person, place or thing, aphysical and/or electronic address thereof, contact information thereof,and information describing the nature or attributes, etc., thereof, atleast containing text, characters, or one or more images. The inventionprovides for associating such information and locations and/or parts ofan electronically presented map so that one can obtain a display of theitem information interactively from a view of a map, or one can obtain aview of a map, i.e., and relevant part thereof, or map locationinteractively from the associated item information, or both. This isaccomplished by associating each item with coordinate informationobtained from data input by a positioning device for a positionindicator, so that the coordinate information can be used to retrieveitem information, and item information can be used to obtain relatedcoordinate information. Also, a search feature may be provided toidentify desired item information and map locations. Thus, in responseto a query, e.g., a category query, which query can in some embodimentsbe input by voice using, for example, a voice recognition device, thesearch feature provides a list of all item information responsive to thequery. The query can also be the name of a specific item, and theresponse would be a display of the associated item information andpositioning of the position indicator at the location on the map of thequeried item.

In addition, more sophisticated querying, as known in the art, ispossible. For example, in some embodiments, users can execute queriesutilizing a search function, search engine, or other search tool, suchas a simple word search engine, or a boolean search engine. The searchengine can be accessible, for example, from the map or a portion of adisplay outside the map. In addition, the search engine can becustomized to the map, or can be a general search engine, such as anyInternet search engine. In some embodiments, the search engine can beused to help provide the user with information useful in specifyingappropriate categories, items, or location-related information, to beused in acquiring specific desired information in accordance with thevarious features of the invention.

Furthermore, in response to a user query, including a voice query inputthrough a voice recognition device, or other user input or selection,submaps can be presented. For example, in some embodiments, a user canquery the locations of restaurants in a certain portion of the arearepresentation, and a submap excluding items other than restaurants maybe presented. As another example, a user can query the location ofrestaurants in the entire area representation, and an arearepresentation can be presented to the user that is similar to theoriginally presented area representation, but which omits items otherthan restaurants, or upon which restaurants are highlighted or otherwisemade obvious, or upon which items other than restaurants are shown in agrayed-out or otherwise less obvious or obtrusive manner.

In some embodiments, a user can query, for example, the location of thenearest restaurant to a presently positioned position indicator on thearea representation, in response to which a position indicator such as amagnifier is re-positioned by the system to the nearest restaurant onthe area representation. Such embodiments can be implemented, forexample, utilizing one or more text or other databases which containinformation regarding the nearest items, or nearest items fromparticular categories, with respect to various map locations, or can beimplemented by utilizing programming to calculate distances to itemsfrom map locations based on, for example the coordinates of itemscompared to the coordinates of a location on an area representation,which location can be defined with reference to a position indicator,magnifier, or in some other manner.

The item information is associated with a person, place or thing on, at,near or surrounding a position indicator on an electronic display of amap, e.g., a cursor on a computer monitor that is positionable using aninput device such as a mouse, digitizer, keyboard, touchpad or touchscreen. For example, item information is displayed correlated to theposition on the map of the position indicator.

As discussed above, the invention provides a magnifier feature, ormagnifier, which can be one form of position indicator, in conjunctionwith an electronically displayed area representation to display aselected part of the area representation magnified. Discussion of themagnifier feature in connection with a map is illustrative of otherapplications.

The map part that is shown magnified may be selected using a positionindicator, as described above, on an electronic display of the map. In apreferred embodiment, the magnifier feature highlights or marks in somemanner that part of the map which will be displayed magnified. The areahighlighted may be a geometric area such as a circle, triangle orrectangle. The area may be highlighted by color, by being darker orlighter than the surrounding area, a line or lines or indicia definingan outline shape, a flashing area or cursor, etc. This highlighted ordefined area or map part can be referred to herein as a magnifier ormagnifier feature. In the preferred embodiment the shape of the part ofthe map displayed magnified corresponds to the shape of the magnifier,e.g., circular. Many of the functions of a magnifier can be accomplishedby different position indicators, and many of the features of anyposition indicator can be accomplished by a magnifier. Unless indicatedotherwise or from context, the term “position indicator” encompasses amagnifier. Therefore much of the description below regarding a magnifierapplies to any position indicator as well, and vice versa. Moreover, insome applications, association of information and location can be usedwithout a magnifier, or a magnifier could be used without association ofinformation and location.

The magnifier may be positioned with respect to a normal or unmagnifiedpresentation of the map in any suitable fashion. (Normal, “unmagnified”and “magnified” are meant in a relative sense. For example, anunmagnified presentation of a map may be a reduced version of a normalsize map and vice versa, where by comparison, one map appearsmagnified). This may be accomplished, for example, by providing scaledversions of maps. For example, movement of the magnifier can becontrolled by an input device. The magnifier may also be embodied by anobject that is positioned using the cursor and an input device. Forexample, with a mouse as the input device, the magnifier can bepositioned using mouse operations such as “point and click” and “dragand drop”. In the preferred embodiment, the magnifier is made of twosprites; one performs a highlighting function, e.g., provides a yellowor other highlighting color to provide a visual definition, and theother provides shape, e.g., to the highlighted area and may be acircular bitmap.

The magnified part of the map may be displayed within a normal orunmagnified presentation of the map, either overlaying the map part tobe magnified, or displaced therefrom, or outside of the displayed mappart. If the magnified map part is displayed within the map, theposition thereof preferably is displaced from the position of themagnifier, and the position of the magnified part changes in accordancewith the position of the magnifier. In the preferred embodiment, themagnified map part is displayed outside of the map itself, and amagnifier corresponding in outline shape to the magnified map part,e.g., circular, triangular, rectangular, etc. is shown highlighted andunmagnified. This arrangement permits simultaneous presentation of ahighlighted unmagnified map part and the corresponding magnified mappart without obscuring any part of the presented map.

In other embodiments of the invention, the magnified map part ormagnified view is presented as overlying and obscuring or partiallyobscuring at least part of the a portion of the unmagnified versionhighlighted or otherwise defined by the magnifier. For example, themagnified view can be presented as obscuring the entire defined portion.For instance, a magnifier can be implemented as a circle defining theportion of the unmagnified version. The defined portion of theunmagnified version can be obscured and apparently covered by themagnified version, the magnified version showing a magnified view of atleast a part of the defined portion. Such an implementation, to a user,gives the an appearance resembling that of a magnifying glass situatedabove the defined portion of the unmagnified view, and giving amagnified view of at least a part of the defined portion. Alternatively,the magnified version can be displayed so that a part of the unmagnifiedversion appears to cover a part of the unmagnified map, while aremainder of the unmagnified version is displayed “off” of theunmagnified map.

In some embodiments of the invention, the magnifier can be moved in anydirection using, for example, a mouse or other pointing device, suchthat the magnifier appears to move fluidly and smoothly over theunmagnified map, defining ever-changing portions of the unmagnified map,giving an appearance, in some embodiments, resembling physically movinga magnifying glass over a map. Simultaneously, the magnified version ofthe defined portion is displayed, whether being displayed over thedefined portion or separately or partially separately from theunmagnified map. As the magnifier is moved over the unmagnified map,smoothly changing the defined portion, the magnified version smoothlychanges accordingly, to display a smoothly changing magnified versionwhich tracks and corresponds with the defined portion.

As described above, in certain embodiments, the unmagnified map isdisplayed, or at least partially displayed, simultaneously with themagnified version. As such, a user is provided with the ability to seewhere the magnifier is on the unmagnified map as the magnifier smoothlymoves over the map. The user can also, of course, view the magnifiedversion at any time, conveniently being able to perceive, by referenceto the unmagnified map including the magnifier, the location on, or theportion of, the unmagnified map that corresponds to the magnifiedversion. The above-described embodiments, via the fluidly movablemagnifier and corresponding magnified version, provide internalnavigation within the unmagnified map.

In some embodiments, the magnifier can be replaced with any indicator ofa portion of a mapable area of any sort, and the magnified version caninstead be any more detailed version of the mapable area. As just one ofmany potential applications, in some embodiments the invention providesinternal navigation within a Web page, whereby, for example, a magnifiercan be moved over features such as text, icons, images, or otherrepresentations on the Web page, to visually define such features,causing simultaneous display of views which correspond to the definedfeature or features, which views can be, in varying embodiments, forexample, magnified or more detailed views of the defined features, orother views which provide information associated with the definedfeature or features.

Similar to providing for the display of item information that isassociated with the position of a position indicator without amagnification feature as discussed above, the invention provides for thedisplay of item information associated with the magnified map part ordesignated by a magnifier.

Descriptions herein of the relationship of displayed item informationand the position of a position indicator apply to embodiments thatinclude or do not include the magnifier feature and/or a magnifierunless indicated otherwise or by the context. Displayed item informationchanges to correspond to item information related to a re-positionedposition of a position indicator. Displayed item information may changewith, and track, movement of the position indicator, and/or displayeditem information may change for each new stationary position of theposition indicator. The associated item information may be displayedautomatically or in response to an input such as a mouse operation(e.g., point and click or drag and drop) or keyboard entry. For example,new item information corresponding to the position of the positionindicator on the map is displayed after the position indicator remainsstationary at a new location for a given time.

The invention also provides for movement of the position indicator tothe associated position on the map in response to selection or input ofitem information. Choosing an entry or listing, e.g., in a categoricaldirectory, causes the position indicator to move to the appropriatelocation on the map, and conversely, positioning the position indicatoron the map causes one or more of the listing of items related to thecategorical directory to be displayed.

Examples of categories include those typically found in a telephoneyellow pages book or electronic listing, e.g., food stores, drugstores,post offices, automobile rental companies, restaurants, museums,theaters, etc. Categories may also include items not typically found ina telephone yellow pages book, such as parks, points of interest, itemsin tourist guides, etc. for example. In the preferred embodiment, iteminformation for a position map is contained in a character-based or textdatabase, and graphics for the map is contained, e.g., in conjunctionwith a graphic file or files.

In one embodiment, two graphics files of maps are displayed; a“magnified view” and an “unmagnified or normal view”, the magnified viewbeing, e.g., four times the size of the unmagnified view. In addition,the system also displays item information associated with these views.By using the position indicator's coordinates to index item informationwithin a text and/or character-based and/or graphics and/or imagedatabase, specific item information tagged to regions of the magnifiedview (and indirectly to regions of the unmagnified view) is displayed tothe user when the cursor enters regions of the unmagnified view (bysimple index look-up or other text retrieval method). Conversely, if theuser selects specific displayed item information, the system retrievesand displays the graphical information relating to the region associatedwith the item information (e.g., by placing the magnifier at therelevant location on the unmagnified view and displaying thecorresponding magnified view). Thus, item information can be retrievedand displayed by selecting a region of the unmagnified view, and aregion of the unmagnified view (and the corresponding magnified view)can be retrieved and displayed by selecting specific item information.Further, in one embodiment the entire unmagnified map is displayed, butonly a portion of the magnified map is displayed at a time.Additionally, the portion of the magnified view displayed is circularwith a mask revealing the magnified area corresponding to theunmagnified area under the magnifier (i.e., the magnified view is basedon the ratio of the maps' sizes—e.g. four to one).

Alternatively, a single graphic file can be stored, and scaling can beused to obtain a larger or smaller image than the one stored in thegraphic file.

Users are, therefore, able to simultaneously view item informationassociated with regions on the unmagnified and/or magnified map (such ascontact information relating to buildings, an image of the buildings ora related person or persons), and link to a web site with a mouse click.In embodiments including the magnifier feature, the graphic informationmay be viewed magnified together with the associated item information.Alternatively, users can explore a city by category (e.g., restaurants,schools, etc.) and view the location and/or map part (magnified and/ornormal) and relevant information associated with each listing under thecategory.

A feature of the invention is associating a hyperlink with an image,such as a building, which provides the ability to access selectedinformation or a web site associated with the building (or itsoccupants) by clicking (or double-clicking) an image (magnified ornormal or unmagnified) of the building, or by clicking (ordouble-clicking) an associated item information portion. In thepreferred embodiment, a listing can be selected, e.g., by mouseclicking, either the graphical representation of the listing on the mapor a item information listing, to activate a hyperlink to furtherinformation provided for or about the listing. For example, thehyperlink can be a URL, and mouse clicking can cause an Internet-enableddevice to request the web page represented by the URL. This hyperlink isprovided as all or part of the item information associated with thelisting.

In one embodiment, moving objects appear in the unmagnified view and/orin the magnified view, and preferably in both. In a preferredembodiment, a moving object displayed in an unmagnified view will have asimilar appearance and movement in a magnified view. The objects mayadditionally display messages to the user and/or include advertisements.The moving objects can be in any image and may include images of modesof transportation (e.g., planes, hot air balloons, cars, etc.), people,animals, or objects (e.g., a baseball hit outside of a stadium). Eachmoving object is implemented as a sprite (i.e., instances of mediaelements) through algorithms that generate points in lists (i.e. x/ycoordinates) that make up location paths that the balloons, blimps, etc.are programmed to follow.

The invention also provides for the display of the map in perspectiveand in a distinctive style of illustration. Some other style ofillustration or conventional two-dimensional bird's eye view of, e.g.,the community could be used in an alternative implementation of theinvention.

The invention also provides methods and systems for improving theeffectiveness of advertising. Unlike banners and other forms ofadvertising that are currently being used on web sites, these ads arenaturally blended into the map's scenery and can even potentially mimicadvertisements posted at “actual” locations. For example, if the BurnettGroup posted an advertisement in Times Square during June 2001, thecompany could also post the same advertisement at the Times Squarelocation on an electronically displayed map during that same timeperiod. Accordingly, there are a variety of ways that companies canadvertise on an electronically displayed map e.g., billboards, movingobjects, etc.—that are effective from a marketing standpoint andengaging from a user's perspective. One method provided by the inventioncomprises including item information at a plurality of locations on theelectronic representation relating to a product or service to beadvertised, in response to user selection of a location on theelectronic representation or additional information as described herein,providing additional information or an indication of item information,as described herein, having the advertising. The additional informationprovided in response to user selection is preferably presented outsideof and simultaneously with the electronic representation of the area.Another advertising method involves moving an image over the electronicdisplay of the map over the map and providing advertising to move withthe image. The moving image and associated advertising can also beprovided in the advertising method described above. The methodspreferably also include arranging for a financial benefit for presentingat least one of the item information and the additional information. Thefinancial benefit may be remuneration to a party who providesadvertising that is accessible for viewing by appropriate persons.

Advertising can be sold, for example, by a map provider, at fixedlocations, or in connection with a moving object. In some embodiments, amap provider is provided with benefit, such as a fee, to include ananimated image providing advertisement, the benefit being provided, forexample, by an entity with an interest in having the advertisementpresented. Different fees can be charged depending upon circumstances.In addition, advertisements can be related to for-profit ornot-for-profit enterprises or causes.

The invention also provides a business method in which advertising ispresented on a map and the sponsor of the advertising is charged a feefor the advertising. The advertising may be displayed in a selectedstationary location or locations on the map, e.g., on a billboard orsign, or on a moving object, e.g., a moving graphic representation suchas a hot air balloon, or blimp, or airplane moving in any selecteddirection relative to the map, or boat moving on a body of water (if themap includes or borders on a body of water), or a vehicle or pedestrianmoving on streets or highways on the map, etc. In various embodiments,advertising may be static, dynamic and/or animated (changing imagesand/or text and/or multimedia), accompanied by sounds and/or music.Different fees may be charged depending upon the location of theadvertisement, size of the advertisement, the time the advertisement isto run, etc. For example, higher fees are charged to the more frequentedareas, or higher fees are charged to advertise at a building, e.g., bythe building's main tenant, etc. Also, higher fees can be charged toadvertise a location in the same time period in which an event isoccurring at the location, etc.

Similarly, the categorical directory could contain display advertising,which could itself take advantage of multi-media possibilities, such asanimation, music, sound, voice-overs, broadband streaming audio andvideo, film clips, etc.

The following examples illustrate the advantages of the invention. Uponselection or input of the category “theaters”, a list of theaters withinthe geographic area represented by the displayed map will be displayed.Selection of a theater from the list will cause the position indicatorto move to the area in which the theater is located, and that area willalso be displayed magnified. Thus, a listing selected from a categorydirectory causes the position indicator to move to the listing'slocation on the map, and the associated area to be displayed magnified.In addition, a person (i.e., a “user”) working, living, or visiting inor near a geographic area may want to know where he or she may purchasea gift. The user may want to determine what stores are within athree-block radius of his or her office, home or hotel. After accessingthe relevant map, the user may simply move the position indicator aroundthe area of the interactive map where he is located and view images ofall of the stores and associated item information. As the positionindicator is moved, item information relating to buildings within thehighlighted area is simultaneously displayed for the user. Afterexploring an area of interest, a user may select a site to visit for thepurpose of selecting a gift to purchase. At this point, the user may nothave decided on a particular gift, but has decided that a store islikely to have the type of article that he or she may be interested inpurchasing.

On the other hand, if the user has a specific gift in mind, such aspersonalized stationary, the user can access the appropriate category(e.g., “stationary”), view a list of stores offering stationary in thegeographic area, and select a store of interest, e.g., stores offeringstationary such as “City Stationers.” Once the user clicks on “CityStationers,” the position indicator moves to the store's location on themap. The user will then be able to see where the store is locatedrelative to his or her location, and all relevant information about thestore (e.g., contact information).

Other uses include, for example: tourists interested in visuallyexploring a city before deciding upon an itinerary, someone in need ofmedical care interested in finding the hospital closest to theirlocation and the hospital's emergency information, someone interested inmoving to a city who would like to find the names and locations of allreal estate agents within a ten block radius of a specific high school,etc. The list of potential uses is essentially limitless.

Furthermore, the invention can provide users with a tremendous varietyof information. For example, users can simultaneously obtain informationregarding: the location of businesses and their contact information andweb sites, the location of public transit services and their hours ofoperation, the location of hospitals and the emergency numbers, thelocation of parks and their available facilities and hours of operation,etc. In addition, animation, sound, and other added enhancements can beadded to the site.

In alternative embodiments, graphic information may represent anyregion, e.g., cities, rural regions, bodies of water, areas in space,etc. Moreover, the text information may contain any informationassociated with any part of the region. For example, alternativeimplementations may include additional categories such as parks,hospitals, famous landmarks, subway stops, etc. Further, alternativeembodiments may include images associated with any region. For example:images of animals may be displayed on a map showing where the animalslive or are located in a zoo or a forest; similarly, images of U.S.presidents or movie stars may be displayed on a map of cities (or a cityor area) associated with the Presidents or movie stars, etc. Forexample, images of movie stars may be displayed on a map of theHollywood area. Moreover, the item information associated with theseimages may contain any information associated with the images (e.g.,information about animals, the term of each president, films the moviestars appeared in, etc.).

Although the invention is mainly described in connection withgeographical area representation such as maps or diagrams of geographiclocations, and persons, places and things and information associatedtherewith, “area representation” is meant in a broad sense. For example,a printed circuit board with electronic components thereon can beconsidered an area representation, and information related to theelectronic components or circuit parameters, etc., can be associatedwith the location of the electronic component. Movement of a positionindicator and/or a magnifier could provide access to this information,as described for maps, and could provide magnified views, as describedfor maps. “Area representation” can be extended to layers of integratedcircuits, or any appropriate object, assembly or topography having area,including, for example, three dimensional objects, and whether or notrelief is also represented with any area. Thus, celestialrepresentations are also encompassed within the term “arearepresentation” even though celestial bodies area separated by threedimensional spaces. In such an embodiment, a magnifier feature canprovide a detailed view of a celestial body while related information isdisplayed.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the invention can include two or moresimultaneously displayed area representations, each having an associateddisplayed detailed or magnified view. Two magnified views, eachassociated with a portion of each area representation, can be used, forexample, to compare details or portions of the two or more arearepresentations.

The invention may be implemented with many features in addition to thosedescribed herein. For example, a search function can be provided whichextends beyond a single map or area representation. Thus, a mapassociated with the desired information can be located. Also, manyvariations on navigation and information drilling can be provided. Forexample, a first mouse click at a location may provide item informationand a double mouse click may activate a link to a URL. Further, mouseclicking may activate a multimedia display (song or video clip). Forexample, mouse clicking a billboard can provide multimedia advertising.

Multimedia and other engaging presentations can be utilized inconjunction with the interactive area representation of the invention.For example, such presentations can include broadband streaming audioand video, animation, film clips, etc. Such presentations can be simplypresented to a user or can be user-interactive. The presentations can beactivated by various occurrences, such as the user clicking on a featurein a magnified or unmagnified view, or by simply moving a magnifier to acertain portion of an area representation or over or near a particularfeature. Alternatively, such presentations can be randomly generated orotherwise generated independently of user input.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawingswhich are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which likereferences are intended to refer to like or corresponding structure orfunctions, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention forelectronically presenting inventive interactive maps and information;

FIG. 2 is text file that includes coordinates on a magnified view of amap;

FIG. 3 illustrates an unmagnified view of the map with a magnifier at agiven location on the map;

FIG. 4 illustrates a magnified view corresponding to the portion of themap within the magnifier shown in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5-9 illustrate electronic presentations of maps, item informationand magnified map portions in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Maps (and other area representations, as discussed above) are providedin accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention over theInternet for electronic display using appropriate devices such as apersonal computer (including equivalent devices for the purposes of thisinvention), PDA, any type of web enabled TV, etc. However, maps (andother area representations) may be provided in accordance with theinvention on stand-alone devices not connected in or to a network, suchas personal computers, or devices connected to an intranet, LAN, WAN,etc. In addition, broadband or other high speed Internet access can beutilized.

While the discussion below focuses on maps and an Internetimplementation of the invention, the invention is not limited to maps oran Internet implementation, and those of skill in the related technologyfield(s) can provide other implementations of the invention from thedisclosure herein without undue experimentation. For example, theinvention can be implemented using systems such as or including kiosks,cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) or otherportable or handheld computers, notebook or laptop computers, or othercomputerized systems or devices. In some embodiments, the invention isimplemented utilizing a kiosk which can be completely stand-alone andinclude all necessary databases as described herein, or a kiosk whichaccesses remote databases, for example, through wireless communications.A kiosk according to some embodiments can include a touch sensitivescreen for user interface, which can be, for example, stylus-based orfinger touch-based, as known in the art. In addition, the invention canbe practiced using cellular telephones, which can, for example, havewired or wireless Internet access, and which can have navigational ordirectional controls enabling user interface with and selection from adisplay. Furthermore, the invention can be implemented utilizing storagemedia including disks, CD-ROM, DVD or other storage media and systems.In some embodiments, the invention is used for educational orinstructional purposes, such as to educate as to geography.

According to other embodiments, the invention may be implemented usingan interactive television system. Such a system may include, forexample, one or more user computers or terminals, a head end contentdistribution center comprising or in communication with at least onecomputer and one or more databases containing information such as maplocation, actual location text and graphics information. A set top box,such as those manufactured by Scientific Atlanta and known to those ofskill in the art, is one example of a user computer or terminal fortwo-way interfacing with the head end. The set top box can itself be acomputer, or can communicate with remote computers, such as computers atthe head end distribution center. A display device connected to the userterminal can be configured to present the map and other areas which cancontain graphics or text. In some embodiments, a television remotecontrol device having screen navigational capability, such as can beprovided, for example, by directional arrow buttons and other buttons oroperational features on the device, may be used to navigate or provideinput or selection in accordance with the present invention. The remotecontrol device can be used to navigate between, select, provide a query,or provide input associated with map locations, item information, orother text or graphics information. Furthermore, the remote controldevice can be used to position or dynamically move a position indicator,such as a magnifier, to or between positions on the map. The remotecontrol device can be used with interactive television to performoperations similar or identical to those that can be performed in otherembodiments of the invention with a mouse or other device, as isdescribed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 implementing the invention includes aserver 12 that communicates with user devices 14 over a network 16.Graphic information from which map displays are provided is stored in agraphic files database 18, e.g., in graphic files such as compressed GIFfiles, and text information from which item information and advertisingare provided are stored in a text database 20, e.g., in text files. Acomputer 22 may be used to provide and edit graphic and text files fordatabases 18 and 20. A library 24 of graphic files may be provided, fromwhich graphic files are stored in database 18 either in edited orunedited form.

In the preferred embodiment, the network 16 is the Internet, the server12 is a web server, and the user devices 14 are devices which support aweb browser and are capable of accessing web sites over the Internet,such as personal computers. Using standard web-browsing software, a userdevice 14 may connect to the web server 12 using any device capable ofsupporting a web browser (including, but not limited to, personalcomputers, PDAs such as Palm Pilots, and pocket PCs and internet-enabledcellular phones, etc.). In one embodiment, the web server 12, usingstandard web-serving software, sends a Shockwave executable applicationand relevant graphics and text files to the user's device 14, which inthis embodiment includes a web browser with a Shockwave plug-in that iscapable of executing the Shockwave application. The use and operation ofthe Shockwave executable application is known by those of skill in therelated art.

The graphics and text files in databases 18 and 20 are maintained byconventional graphics and text editing software in computer 22. Usingthis software, the graphics and text files can be updated, andindividual listings can be deleted and added as necessary. The libraryof graphical files can store images of buildings, streets, parks, etc.,and these can be used in known manner to construct map graphics filesstored in a compressed format such as GIF in graphic files database 18.The text file contains: categories and lists of public and privateentities; each entity's address, phone number, fax number, and web sitehyperlink; and each entity's coordinates relative to the GIF file of themagnified map (FIG. 2).

In this embodiment, the web browser on a personal computer and theShockwave executable application display, an “unmagnified view” 30 ofthe concerned map (FIG. 3), and a section of a “magnified view” 50 (FIG.4), from two GIF files. Accordingly, there are two maps: an unmagnifiedmap (FIG. 3), and a magnified map, of which a portion is shown in acircular window 55 (FIG. 4). In the illustrated embodiment, themagnified view is four times larger than the unmagnified view. (Anysuitable magnification can be used.) Further, although there are otherways of importing graphics from the server, in the preferred embodimentgraphics remain external to the program file and the application importsa reference to it.

A magnified view, as used herein, is intended to mean any presentationor view that appears magnified with respect to an unmagnified view. Forexample, in some embodiments, a magnified view presents features,images, text, or other information as larger versions of the features,images, text, or other information presented in an unmagnified view. Insome embodiments, a magnified view can include only larger “versions” offeatures, etc., whereas in other embodiments, a magnified view caninclude larger “versions” of features, etc., as well as additionaldetail not included in an associated unmagnified view. Furthermore, insome embodiments of the invention, users can select features, etc. fromthe magnified view to obtain information associated with such features.It should be kept in mind that the invention also contemplates detailedviews other than magnified views, which detailed views are more detailedthan associated less detailed views.

In varying embodiments of the invention, different levels ofmagnification in magnified views can be used. Furthermore, in differentembodiments, the level of magnification can be set or scaledautomatically depending on the unmagnified view or some other parameter,or can be selected or specified by a user in accordance with a level ofdetail, magnification, or scaling which is necessary, desired, or mostconvenient for the user. In the preferred embodiment, the softwareexecuted by system 10 was developed in Macromedia director, but it couldbe implemented in any programming language such as C++ or Java. Thesystem could also be implemented directly in hardware such as in ahandheld image/map navigation device. Director utilizes a secondquadrant coordinate scheme. Under this scheme, the origin is at the topleft corner of the stage (i.e., the presentation window or screen view),x values go from left to right, and y values go from top to bottom, allcoordinates are calculated relative to the stage, and the units arescreen pixels. (Any x values left of the stage and any y values abovethe stage are negative values. For example, if a graphic is located tox: 100/y: 100, the graphic will be placed 100 pixels to the right of theleft edge of the stage, and 100 pixels down from the top edge of thestage. If the location of a graphic is set to x: −50/y: −50, the graphicwill be placed 50 pixels to left of the left edge of the stage, and 50pixels above the top edge of the stage.) Since only what is placedwithin the dimensions of the stage will be displayed, if part or all ofa graphic is placed off the stage, it does not show when the program isrunning. (Moreover, because the large map is much bigger than the stagein the preferred embodiment, a portion can only be seen at any timewithin a circular window or mask.)

The coordinates in the text file (FIG. 2) reference the magnified view50. The first two numbers are the “x” and “y” coordinates for thegraphic on the map; the third and fourth numbers are their widths andheight. The Shockwave application responds to changes in the location ofthe position indicator on the unmagnified view by displaying the newcorresponding area of the magnified view within the circular mask, andby searching the text file (FIG. 2) to retrieve whatever listing isassociated with that new location (using the coordinates on themagnified view). Moreover, when a particular listing is selected, theShockwave application retrieves further information about the listingand displays that information to the user. Concurrently, the Shockwaveapplication retrieves the coordinates of the selected listing on theunmagnified view (e.g., by referencing the magnified view's coordinatesand by dividing the magnified view's coordinates by, in this embodiment,four), and moves the position indicator to the corresponding location onthe unmagnified view.

With reference to FIG. 5, a part of the magnified view 50 obtained fromone GIF file is displayed which corresponds to the area on, at, near,adjacent to or surrounding the coordinates of the magnifier 65. In thedisclosed embodiment, the Shockwave application displays from anotherGIF file the entire unmagnified view 30 of the concerned geographic area(e.g., the city's map) on the left side 40 of a browser window. Inaddition, the Shockwave application displays category listings in a textarea 90. The magnifier 65 highlights a geographic area on theunmagnified view, which in this embodiment is a circle. On the rightside of the browser window, the Shockwave application displays the partof the magnified view 50 within a circular window 55 that corresponds tothe area circumscribed by the magnifier on the unmagnified map 30. TheShockwave application also displays on the bottom portion 90 of thebrowser window a list of the categories corresponding to categorieslisted in the text file.

In one embodiment, the magnified view 50 changes in accordance withmovement of the position indicator's movement or the dragging of themagnifier 65, i.e., the portion of the magnified view 50 is movedrelative to the circular window or mask 55 responsive to the position ofthe magnifier 65. This is accomplished using scripts. One script isattached to the magnifier and responds when the user clicks the mousedown while the cursor is positioned over the magnifier. The scriptperforms three tasks in response to a mouse click. One, the script setsa variable to true indicating that the mouse is clicked down. Two, itsets a variable—mX—indicating the horizontal distance from the cursor tothe x coordinate of the center of the magnifier (x coordinate of thecenter of the magnifier minus the x coordinate of the cursor). Three, itsets a variable—mY—indicating the vertical distance from the cursor tothe y coordinate of the center of the magnifier (the y coordinate of thecenter of the magnifier minus the y coordinate of the cursor).

In addition, a score script tells the program to loop over and over inthe current frame of the score (i.e., the timeline in Director). In eachiteration of a loop, the script checks the true/false variableindicating whether the user has clicked down on the magnifier. If thetrue/false variable is false, the script does nothing. If it is true,the script performs the following tasks: it sets the location of thecenter of the magnifier to the location of the mouse cursor minus mX andmY. The script then sets a variable to the distance of the center of themagnifier from the left edge of the small map and sets another variableto the distance of the center of the magnifier from the top edge of thesmall map. It then multiplies these variables by four (in thisembodiment) to calculate the equivalent distances for the magnified viewand sets the top left corner of the map of the magnified view to thecenter of the large circular window 55 minus the equivalent horizontaland vertical distances. (For example, if the magnifier is located 300pixels from the left edge of the small map and is located 250 pixelsfrom the top edge of the small map, the equivalent distances on themagnified view would be calculated as 1200 and 1000 respectively.

Since in the preferred embodiment, the center of the circular magnifiedview's window (or mask) is located x: 600/y: 150, the top left corner ofthe magnified view map would be set at x: 600-1200/y: 150-1000, or x:−600/y: −850.) By looping very quickly and running this score scriptover and over again, the program will repeat the above calculationhundreds of times if the user's mouse button is clicked down for aperiod of time. Accordingly, the magnifier 65 and the magnified viewwithin windows 55 snap from one discreet point to another very quicklywhich gives the impression of sliding movement. Furthermore, if the userclicks anywhere on the unmagnified view outside of the magnifier 65,e.g., at the location of the position indicator 70 in FIG. 5, themagnifier will snap to the location of the user's click (FIG. 6), andthe position of the magnified view within the large, circular window 55will be adjusted accordingly. The position indicator 70 will then appearin the magnifier, as shown in FIG. 6.

The system 10 also displays text associated with the various images(e.g., buildings) on the unmagnified and magnified views by using theposition indicator's coordinates. Regions of the unmagnified view areindirectly tagged to specific text (vis-à-vis the magnified view'scoordinates which are directly tagged to the text) which appear when thecursor enters these regions (FIG. 2). For example, a region of theunmagnified view bounded by the coordinates 329, 111, 24, 11 (using themagnified view's coordinates 1314, 444, 95, 45 and dividing by four) isassociated with the item information pertaining to the Burnett Group.Thus, whenever the position indicator is at or near this area on theunmagnified view, the item information associated with that region isretrieved, by simple index look-up or other text retrieval method. Otherregion shapes such as circles are also possible.

The magnifier 65 used in the preferred embodiment is circular in shapeand resembles a conventional magnifying glass. In the alternativeembodiments, it could assume any shape that enables the user to identifya part of the map. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment the useremploys a mouse to move the magnifier by moving the cursor over themagnifier, holding down the mouse button, and moving the mouse to dragthe magnifier, or by pointing and clicking at a desired location.Alternative embodiments include the use of any device capable of movingthe position indicator, such as keypad, touch device, digitizer or touchscreen, for example.

For example, in response to a mouse click with the position indicator 70located as shown in FIG. 5, the system 10 activates a mouse “point andclick” operation and provides the display shown in FIG. 6. In responseto a mouse “click and hold” mouse operation with the position indicator70 located within the magnifier 65 in FIG. 6 activates a mouse “drag anddrop” operation with which the magnifier 65 (FIG. 6) the system 10 canbe dragged and dropped to the position shown in FIG. 7.

In the preferred embodiments, the magnifier 65 is implemented by twosprites: one is a yellow circle which gives it visual definition, theother is a circular bitmap. The circular bitmap is given an ink effectcalled AddPin which adds the pixel colors of the circle to the pixelcolors of the area of the map on which it lies. Accordingly, theresulting pixel colors are brighter than the colors of the map. When theuser clicks down within or on the yellow circle, two variables are setto the horizontal and vertical distances between the horizontal andvertical coordinates of the mouse location and the horizontal andvertical coordinates of the top-left corner of the bounding box for theyellow circle. Another variable is set to true indicating that themagnifier has been clicked down on. Whenever the mouse is released, thisvariable is set to false. While the program is running, this variable isconstantly checked. While the variable is true, the magnifier is movedto the horizontal and vertical coordinates of the mouse minus the twovariables mentioned above. This ensures that the magnifier stays inplace regardless of where the user clicks within it, rather thansnapping to the location of the user's click.

If the user clicks the position indicator on any part of the map outsidethe circle, the magnifier is moved with its center at the position ofthe position indicator.

Once the user moves the magnifier 65, the Shockwave application displaysitem information 160 relating to the new location in the iteminformation portion which corresponds to the new position of themagnifier 65. (FIG. 6.) In addition, the area in the magnified view thatcorresponds to the area indicated by the magnifier is presented in themagnified view 50. Furthermore, the section 50 of the magnified viewthat is displayed is proportional to the area under the magnifier basedon the ratio of areas of the maps (e.g., four to one). Accordingly,whenever the user browses a neighborhood by moving the positionindicator relative to the map, the Shockwave application displays theitem information and magnified image associated with the magnifier's newcoordinates, either per a “point and click” or a “drag and drop”operation as described above.

For example, if the user moves the magnifier to the Burnett Groupbuilding 150, the item information associated with the Burnett Groupwill appear in the item information portion at the bottom of the display160 and a magnified image of the Burnett Group's building will appear inright side of the display 185 within the circular mask. (FIG. 6.)Furthermore, the user may connect to the Burnett Group's web site byclicking on the web site link 170 in either the item information portionor on the building in the magnified view of the Burnett Group 185. Inresponse, the user device opens a new browser window and displays theweb page provided by the server at the Burnett Group web site.

In one embodiment, moving objects 200 (e.g., a hot air balloon andblimp) appear in the unmagnified view 30 (FIG. 6) and in the magnifiedview 50. (FIGS. 7 and 8) as they traverse the map 30. For example, a hotair balloon 200 is shown under the magnifier in the unmagnified view 30in FIGS. 7 and 8 and in a magnified map portion 50 in FIGS. 7 and 8. Theobjects may display messages to the user and/or include advertisements.The moving objects can include images of modes of transportation (e.g.,planes, hot air balloons, cars, etc.), people, animals (e.g. birds) orobjects (e.g. baseball hit outside of stadium). In one embodiment,algorithms are employed to generate the coordinates of the paths thatthe moving objects 200 (such as the balloon and blimp) are programmed tofollow on the maps. The graphics for these objects are separate spritesand their animation is handled by the score script. Each object has twoseparate lists of points, one defining a path on the unmagnified viewand one defining a path on the magnified view.

The script that handles the movement of the magnifier can also handleanimation of the balloon and blimp. There are two lists of points foreach moving object: one each for the smaller and larger versions. Fortwo moving objects (a balloon and a blimp), there are four lists ofpoints: one for the small balloon, one for the large balloon, one forthe small blimp, and one for the large blimp. Each list of points,calculated beforehand, is passed to the score script. Starting with aninitial index number which is incremented after each repetition of thescore script's loop, points are retrieved from each of the four listsusing the index number. The points are x/y pairs and they tell theprogram where to put the graphics for the balloons and blimps. Forexample, in the first iteration of the loop, the index number is setto 1. The script gets the number 1 point for each of the lists, and setsthe position of the graphics to those points. In the next iteration, theindex number is 2. The script gets the second set of points from thelists, and sets the positions of the graphics to those points, etc.

There may be a very slight delay between the passing of the smaller andthe passing of the larger sprites within their respective circularareas. This can be caused by a slight lack of precision when using thescaling factor in the algorithm which generates the list of animationpoints.

The user may also choose to browse a neighborhood by selecting acategory listing from the item information portion. (FIG. 7.) Forexample, when the user clicks on a category heading 310, the executableShockwave application searches the text file for business listings underthe category (e.g., “city agencies”), and displays the listings 410(FIG. 8) in the item information portion. The user may then move theposition indicator 70 to a particular listing such as “City Stationers”420 and click. The Shockwave executable application then searches thetext database for “City Stationers” and finds and displays iteminformation associated with the listing such as its address, phonenumber, fax number, and a web site link 510 (FIG. 9). The region on themagnified view 50 associated with the text string is determined bymatching the selected string with strings in the region list. When amatch is found, then a center point associated with the region is eithercomputed (e.g. by finding the center of a rectangular region), or astored center point is retrieved and the content in the magnified viewis updated. In addition, the Shockwave executable application determinesthe coordinates of the selected listing on the unmagnified view 30 (bydividing the magnified view's coordinates by four), and positions theposition indicator over the City Stationers building in the magnifier65. The user may then connect to the City Stationer's web site byclicking the position indicator 70 (FIG. 9) on the web site link 540 inthe item information portion, or by clicking the position indicator 70on the City Stationers building graphic 530 in the magnified view 50.(Two position indicators 70 are shown in FIG. 9 for purposes ofillustration.)

In the disclosed embodiment, advertising is presented in the form ofstationary billboards 188 and moving objects 200 (FIG. 6). Inalternative embodiments, advertising can appear in any form that couldbe associated with a bird's eye view of a region. Advertisements couldbe presented on moving or stationary subway cars, taxis, planes, boats,etc. While airborne moving objects such as balloon 200 and blimp 200 canfollow any path, ground vehicles will move through streets according toany desired path, etc. Advertising can be presented as discussed aboveand fees can be charged as discussed above.

Animated images can be associated with particular locations or items onan area representation or view, or can be not associated with anypresented location or item. In some embodiments, animated images areselected based upon or to appeal to an anticipated set of users of anarea representation.

Use of a Shockwave application on user devices distributes processingrequirements so that a large number of users can be served from amodestly-powered web site.

In the alternative embodiments, image files may contain maps of anyregion. For example, the user may be able to view maps of any geographicarea of the world, e.g., cities, rural regions, bodies of water, andeven areas in space, etc. Moreover, the text file may contain anyinformation associated with an item on a map. For example, alternativeimplementations may include additional categories such as parks,hospitals, famous landmarks, subway stops, etc. Furthermore, thecategorical directory could employ advertising and various multi-mediapossibilities such as animation, music, sound, and voice-overs.

Furthermore, in an alternative implementation, a database could replacethe text file described above and serve as a source of listings andmap's coordinates. In this alternative implementation, the Shockwaveapplication would query the serving machine in order to obtaininformation.

The invention is also not limited to a particular means of datatransmission necessary to move files from a server to a user'sdevice—the method could involve wired or wireless Internet access,cable, phone, satellite, or DSL.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in connectionwith preferred embodiments, many variations and modifications as will beevident to those skilled in this art may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. As mentioned, the invention hasapplication to many variations of maps, and to area representations ofmany things in addition to maps. The invention is thus not to be limitedto the precise details of methodology, construction or application setforth above as such variations, modification are and applicationsintended to be included within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing an interactive electronicmap, comprising: at least one computer programmed to cause a displaydevice to simultaneously present thereon: a first portion of the mapcentered at a first x coordinate and at a first y coordinate;information on the first map portion related to one or more itemsassociated with a geographic area represented by the first map portion;information outside of the first map portion responsive to a queryrelating to the map including user-selectable information; wherein theat least one computer is programmed to cause, in response to selectionof user-selectable information from the user-selectable informationoutside of the first map portion and responsive to the query, thedisplay device to simultaneously present thereon: instead of the firstmap portion a second map portion, in relation to the informationselected, the second map portion being at least partially different fromthe first map portion and being centered at an x coordinate differentfrom the first x coordinate, or at a y coordinate different from thefirst y coordinate, or at x and y coordinates different from the first xand y coordinates; information on the second map portion related to oneor more items associated with a geographic area represented by thesecond map portion; information outside of the second map portionresponsive to the query including user-selectable information; andadditional information about the user-selectable information that wasselected from outside of the first map portion; wherein the at least onecomputer is programmed to cause, in response to selection ofuser-selectable information from the user-selectable information outsideof the second map portion which is different from the user-selectableinformation selected outside of the first map portion and responsive tothe query, the display device to simultaneously present thereon: insteadof the second map portion another map portion, in relation to theinformation selected, the another map portion being at least partiallydifferent from the second map portion and being centered at an xcoordinate different from the x coordinate at which the second mapportion was centered, or at a y coordinate different from the ycoordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at x and ycoordinates different from the x and y coordinates at which the secondmap portion was centered; information on the another map portion relatedto one or more items associated with a geographic area represented bythe another map portion; information outside of the another map portionresponsive to the query including user-selectable information; andadditional information about the user-selectable information that wasselected from outside of the second map portion.
 2. A method forproviding an interactive electronic map, comprising: at least onecomputer causing a display device to simultaneously present thereon: afirst portion of the map centered at a first x coordinate and at a firsty coordinate; information on the first map portion related to one ormore items associated with a geographic area represented by the firstmap portion; information outside of the first map portion responsive toa query relating to the map including user-selectable information; theat least one computer causing, in response to selection ofuser-selectable information from the user-selectable information outsideof the first map portion and responsive to the query, the display deviceto simultaneously present thereon: instead of the first map portion asecond map portion, in relation to the information selected, the secondmap portion being at least partially different from the first mapportion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the first xcoordinate, or at a y coordinate different from the first y coordinate,or at x and y coordinates different from the first x and y coordinates;information on the second map portion related to one or more itemsassociated with a geographic area represented by the second map portion;information outside of the second map portion responsive to the queryincluding user-selectable information; and additional information aboutthe user-selectable information that was selected from outside of thefirst map portion; the at least one computer causing, in response toselection of user-selectable information from the user-selectableinformation outside of the second map portion which is different fromthe user-selectable information selected outside of the first mapportion and responsive to the query, the display device tosimultaneously present thereon: instead of the second map portionanother map portion, in relation to the information selected, theanother map portion being at least partially different from the secondmap portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the xcoordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at a ycoordinate different from the y coordinate at which the second mapportion was centered, or at x and y coordinates different from the x andy coordinates at which the second map portion was centered; informationon the another map portion related to one or more items associated witha geographic area represented by the another map portion; informationoutside of the another map portion responsive to the query; andadditional information about the user-selectable information that wasselected from outside of the second map portion.
 3. A non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium or media including computer code thatcauses at least one computer to perform a method of providing aninteractive electronic map, the method comprising: causing a displaydevice to simultaneously present thereon: a first portion of the mapcentered at a first x coordinate and at a first y coordinate;information on the first map portion related to one or more itemsassociated with a geographic area represented by the first map portion;information outside of the first map portion responsive to a queryrelating to the map including user-selectable information; the at leastone computer causing, in response to selection of user-selectableinformation from the user-selectable information outside of the firstmap portion and responsive to the query, the display device tosimultaneously present thereon: instead of the first map portion asecond map portion, in relation to the information selected, the secondmap portion being at least partially different from the first mapportion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the first xcoordinate, or at a y coordinate different from the first y coordinate,or at x and y coordinates different from the first x and y coordinates;information on the second map portion related to one or more itemsassociated with a geographic area represented by the second map portion;information outside of the second map portion responsive to the queryincluding user-selectable information; and additional information aboutthe user-selectable information that was selected from outside of thefirst map portion; the at least one computer causing, in response toselection of user-selectable information from the user-selectableinformation outside of the second map portion which is different fromthe user-selectable information selected outside of the first mapportion and responsive to the query, the display device tosimultaneously present thereon: instead of the second map portionanother map portion, in relation to the information selected, theanother map portion being at least partially different from the secondmap portion and being centered at an x coordinate different from the xcoordinate at which the second map portion was centered, or at a ycoordinate different from the y coordinate at which the second mapportion was centered, or at x and y coordinates different from the x andy coordinates at which the second map portion was centered; informationon the another map portion related to one or more items associated witha geographic area represented by the another map portion; informationoutside of the another map portion responsive to the query includinguser-selectable information; and additional information about theuser-selectable information that was selected from outside of the secondmap portion.